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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27251326">Beach Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpiePair/pseuds/MagpiePair'>MagpiePair</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ASTRO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Being Lost, Day At The Beach, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Jinwoo POV, Minor Injuries, park Jinwoo | Jin Jin-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:21:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27251326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpiePair/pseuds/MagpiePair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What was supposed to be a fun day at the beach turns into a bit of a nightmare when Jinwoo gets lost and injured. </p><p>(Non-famous AU)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jinjin &amp; Everyone, Kim Myungjun | MJ &amp; Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin, Lee Dongmin | Cha Eunwoo &amp; Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin, Moon Bin &amp; Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin, Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin &amp; Park Minhyuk | Rocky, Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin &amp; Yoon Sanha, Park Jinwoo/Jin Jin &amp; Everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Beach Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Beach day!!” Sanha screeches at the top of his lungs, running through the too-narrow hallway and bumping into poor Minhyuk as he attempts to pack his bag. </p><p>Jinwoo covers his ears as the screaming boy passes, then looks to the off-balance Minhyuk (who is throwing his arms out in front of him in an effort to not topple over) in sympathy. Minhyuk throws his own scathing look toward the retreating boy, and if Jinwoo sees Minhyuk methodically remove Sanha’s favorite snacks from his pouch, he doesn’t say anything about it.</p><p>“We’ve only been trying to schedule this day for... what, 3 weeks now?” Moonbin states with a wry grin. </p><p>“Hey, don’t look at me. I’m not the one who’s too busy hanging out with his five different friend groups,” Jinwoo replies, gazing pointedly at Dongmin. Dongmin is looking away, somewhat dampening the effect.</p><p>Myungjun throws himself onto Jinwoo’s shoulders and laughs brightly. “Right, you don’t have any friend groups to hang out with at all~!”</p><p>“Yah!! What do you call you guys, then??”</p><p>“Pity friends.”</p><p>Jinwoo noogies the other. “See if I ever help you guys plan an outing like this again.” </p><p>“What do you mean? Moonbin and Minhyuk did most of the planning, and Dongmin’s the one driving. Sanha and I are in charge of cuteness. You? You’re utterly replaceable.”</p><p>Jinwoo again pushes the other, interrupting his fit of giggles.      </p><p>--</p><p>The drive over is loud and energetic, as expected for their group, but it is only after they load their things out of the car and make the trek to the shore that their energy levels truly explode. </p><p>“Race you to the water! Loser buys lunch,” Moonbin challenges before breaking off into a sprint. </p><p>“Joke’s on you, I didn’t even /bring/ any money!” Sanha calls triumphantly, even as he runs after the other. </p><p>“The water’s too cold to just jump right in. I’ll be relaxing first, thank you very much,” Minhyuk says to only Dongmin and Jinwoo, as Myungjun has already gone to follow the others. </p><p>Jinwoo helps Minhyuk to set up their towels on the sand and hands Dongmin his book from one of their bags of things. Jinwoo chuckles a little as he looks at the cover- he recalls Sanha teasing the other about how boring it is to read while at the beach. Jinwoo had joined in on the gentle ribbing then, but now he thinks he sees the appeal. He is quite tired after the long ride... </p><p>Not that that will stop him from playing in the water, starting a splash fight with Myungjun and dunking Moonbin and Sanha at least 3 times each once he has regained his bearings.  </p><p>--</p><p>“Boardwalk shopping!” Sanha claps his hands together in excitement as the group finishes toweling off. </p><p>“You didn’t bring any money, remember?” Myungjun sticks out his tongue.  </p><p>“Speaking of money, why do I have everyone’s wallets and phones in my bag, again?” Moonbin complains, no small amount of snark in his voice. </p><p>“’Cause your bag is waterproof,” Minhyuk reminds him helpfully.</p><p>“But why do I have all the jackets in mine...” Dongmin’s protests fall on deaf ears as the others leave the two resident pack mules in the dust. Jinwoo walks with a pep in his step, ready to explore strange attractions and novelty snacks until his feet are tired. The boardwalk is one of Jinwoo’s favorite parts of visiting the beach, and by gosh, he will make the most of this trip.</p><p>--</p><p>Jinwoo’s good mood lasts for a while longer, through countless stores and countless hours At least until he sees a very adorable and very /alone/ dog yipping pitifully by the side of the boardwalk.</p><p>He steps to the side and holds out his hand to greet it. The dog happily sniffs and licks him. “Where is your person, pup?” He inspects the collar on the small beagle which proclaims the dog’s name as “Sparky,” and underneath that, lists a phone number.</p><p>He reaches out one arm behind him. “Hey, Moonbin, can you pass me my-” </p><p>Jinwoo blinks. Because no one is standing behind him. Not Moonbin, not anyone.</p><p>“Uh...” He anxiously scans the boardwalk in front of him but sees no sign of his friends. /Shit./ Of course. He hadn’t actually said anything or drawn attention to himself when he noticed the dog and stepped aside. He looks back to the dog and makes a quick decision. “Sorry about this, girl...” He hesitantly reaches out to grab her, and when she doesn’t nip at him in fear but merely nuzzles into his hold, he straightens up and jogs forward to catch sight of the others. Still nothing.</p><p>He continues forward like that a little longer, his heart sinking with every step. Eventually, he hears a voice, though it is not his name but “Sparky!!” that is being called with such relief. </p><p>The woman rushes forward to Jinwoo and takes the dog into her arms. “Oh my gosh, thank you so much!! Her- her leash snapped, and she was so excited by all the people and sounds and smells that she just darted right away. I thought I’d never find her again!”  </p><p>“Of course!” Jinwoo comments on how cute Sparky is and waves the profusely grateful woman goodbye before turning around and reassessing his situation. </p><p>Okay. So he’s in a bit of trouble. </p><p>In returning a lost dog, he has gotten lost himself.</p><p>He pats his pockets, hoping beyond hope that he had somehow forgotten to put his phone in Moonbin’s bag as the others had done. His hands come up empty, of course. He groans in frustration- he can’t even borrow a stranger’s phone because he doesn’t have any of his friend’s numbers memorized. </p><p>God, they didn’t even specify a place to meet up if they got separated, and Jinwoo doesn’t remember how to get back to the car, either. Should he just wait here? He thinks he’s already wandered a ways away from where they last saw him, but they must notice and double back the way they came soon, right? </p><p>He decides to wait in place. </p><p>Time passes by achingly slowly. The agonizing wait and growing anxiety at every minute that passes with only himself for company only get worse as the beach gets more crowded. Jinwoo finds his hopes dimming, the chance of reuniting with them getting slimmer. </p><p>“Ow!” He rubs his arm and stumbles a bit as a large group shoves past him. He gets pushed around a little bit more, his small stature leaving him at the mercy of the mob that storms past. Should he take cover in a storefront? But then they’ll really never find him... </p><p>One particularly harsh shove sends him sprawling to the ground. The landing is not good. He winces and hisses as he feels his ankle twist something awful. From his position against the wooden floor of the boardwalk, he eyes the damage- the split, bleeding skin on his knee and the splinters pinching at the palms of his hands from where he had tried to catch himself. He can’t help but let loose a low whine. </p><p>He manages to get to his feet although shakily and although he is much too terrified to place any weight on his throbbing ankle. </p><p>It has gotten windier, colder, darker. Jinwoo doesn’t have his jacket either- that was in Dongmin’s bag. Maybe Moonbin had a point that they should have carried their own stuff... Jinwoo regrets it now.</p><p>He begins to worry more sharply. This really isn’t a good situation. Is there a police station nearby? Do they even have speakers and announcement systems on the boardwalk for a friendly officer to call out for Jinwoo’s friends? As embarrassing as it would be to use a service primarily reserved for lost children, Jinwoo wants nothing more right now than to meet his friends again by any means necessary. He’s not even sure how long it’s been at this point since he last saw them. The clock on a nearby building informs him that it is well past 5:00 PM, but Jinwoo couldn’t tell you at what time they had gotten separated. </p><p>He hobbles over to a bench and fights back the tears prickling behind his eyes. Just when he starts to resign himself, wondering about how his new life will be living on the beach (will he have to have crabs for dinner every night?), he hears a distant but very familiar voice calling out, “-WOO!!! JINWOO!!!”  </p><p>“M-Myungjun?” His own voice comes out raspy and weak, but he forces himself to try again. “MYUNGJUN!”</p><p>“Jinwoo?!”</p><p>Through the crowd, five distinct shapes rush ahead. Jinwoo can barely manage to call out “Guys!” before Sanha’s lanky arms are thrown around him. </p><p>He tries standing from the bench, only to fall back rather roughly from the power in Sanha’s embrace. The other’s hug is tight, squeezing every ounce of coldness out of Jinwoo’s body. He welcomes it, as well as the sight of his other friends when he peers over Sanha’s shoulder. </p><p>Myungjun is blubbering quietly, tears wetting his cheeks, and he waits only another moment before seeming impatient and joining their hug. Minhyuk is shifting from foot to foot and clenching his fists open and shut as though uneasy without contact from Jinwoo. He eventually shyly enters the huddle as well.</p><p>Moonbin and Dongmin hang back, but when the other three finally release Jinwoo, they are close on their heels to give Jinwoo their own cuddles.</p><p>“That was... pretty scary...” Jinwoo admits once they have all calmed and settled around him on the bench. At some point, Dongmin drapes his jacket over Jinwoo. Jinwoo wants to question it- Dongmin has Jinwoo’s own coat right in his bag, after all- but he merely gratefully accepts the oversized garment, pulling its ends closer over his shoulders.</p><p>Moonbin slaps his shoulder then. “Don’t you think it was scary for us, too? One second you’re making stupid jokes, and the next, you’re gone!” </p><p>Minhyuk rubs one hand up and down Jinwoo’s back, the simple gesture bringing him immeasurable comfort. “It had to be worse for you, huh? Since you were all alone and didn’t even have anything on you...” </p><p>Myungjun knocks his head against Jinwoo’s and refuses to break contact; that seems to be a common theme with his friends, as Jinwoo notes belatedly that his hand is firmly grasped in Sanha’s, and both Dongmin and Moonbin are hovering very close by, their own hands outstretched at varying moments to run through Jinwoo’s hair. </p><p>(Jinwoo distantly knows he must look quite a sight, his hair absolutely devastated by the wind and his eyes glossy with unshed tears. For the moment, however, he can only focus on the others in front of him.) </p><p>Myungjun has started speaking, his breath hot on Jinwoo’s face. “Why are you so short, anyway? How are we possibly supposed to pick you out in a crowd??” </p><p>“Like you’re so much taller...” Jinwoo scoffs. </p><p>Dongmin speaks up, “Let’s get back to the car, yeah? It’ll be warmer there, and you can tell us more about what happened on the way.” </p><p>Jinwoo nods his assent and stands, but he forgets all about his ankle and ends up toppling back down to the bench. </p><p>Moonbin seems all at once panicked. “Are you okay?? Are you injured??” </p><p>“Um...” Jinwoo starts. He gingerly lifts his leg before hissing in pain. “I kinda hurt my ankle when I fell earlier?” </p><p>The corner of Moonbin’s lips turn down sharply in concern. “Ugh, what are we going to do with you??”</p><p>“Here,” Dongmin pipes up, “Get on my back.” </p><p>Jinwoo flushes. “I- That’s not necessary-” </p><p>“Just do it, Jinwoo. We’ll feel better if you let us take care of you. We already feel stupid that it took us too long to notice you weren’t there, and by then you were out of our sight...” Minhyuk says, his eyes downcast. </p><p>“I can’t believe we really left you behind...” Myungjun adds. Sanha pouts, looking close to tears himself. </p><p>At their sincerity, Jinwoo hums and reaches out his arms to hold around Dongmin. Dongmin bends down and lets the other grab hold before standing with absolutely no difficulty. Jinwoo is again embarrassed. Is he really that light? Or is Dongmin that strong? Probably both… But there is a more pressing matter, and he turns his head to the others. </p><p>“You know it’s not your fault, right? I’m the one who wandered away from the group.” </p><p>“Yeah, what /did/ happen?” Sanha asks then. </p><p>“There was a- uh, a lost dog. A really cute beagle. I just wanted to help her find her owner.” </p><p>“That’s just like you,” Sanha proclaims with a fond smile. </p><p>“Did you? Find the owner, I mean?” Minhyuk asks.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Aish, I wish you would worry about yourself more than some stray dog,” Moonbin interjects with no real bite behind his words. </p><p>Sanha trots forward to be in step with Dongmin and Jinwoo. “You should have seen Myungjun when he realized you were missing. He started screaming your name and trying to ask everyone if they had seen a small guy with curly hair, almond eyes, and a cheeky smile.” </p><p>Jinwoo chuckles and blushes at the description. </p><p>Myungjun puffs up his chest. “Well, someone had to take charge! You guys were being too quiet.” </p><p>“No one can compare to you in volume, Myungjun. We’re just ordinary humans, after all,” Dongmin teases.</p><p>Myungjun doesn’t fight Dongmin on his comment and only returns to fussing over their previously lost friend. Jinwoo appreciates the attention more than he can admit. </p><p>--</p><p>The ride back is long and torturous, not least of which because of Jinwoo’s ankle, which throbs every time they hit a bump in the road. Dongmin keeps glancing back at him apologetically. Also, somehow Sanha had gotten control of the aux cord and insisted on playing Baby Shark three times in a row. Minhyuk and Moonbin start a long and droll, although necessary, conversation (scolding, Jinwoo thinks privately) about safety precautions and other measures for future outings.</p><p>But when they do make it back, Minhyuk swaddles Jinwoo in a blanket on the couch while Myungjun loads up his favorite movie (Nightmare Before Christmas) and Moonbin heats up and hands him a bowl of popcorn. It starts to ease some of the fear and upset from earlier. </p><p>Sanha places a pillow in his own lap and props Jinwoo’s leg up on it, and the others trade off gentle touches on any part of Jinwoo they can reach while the movie begins. They each sing along in different parts, surrounding Jinwoo with their voices and presence. </p><p>Jinwoo relishes in feeling warm, safe, and comfortable- the feeling of having them all by his side.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Inspired by the time I got lost on the beach at 7 years old, and after approximately 20 minutes, I thought word for word, 'I guess I live on the beach now... I'll have to eat crab for dinner every night!!' lol</p></blockquote></div></div>
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